Going Up: How To Care for Your Stair Treads

If the stairs in your home are hardwood rather than carpet, invest in stair treads to make the walk up and down more stable. When you’re choosing stair treads, find a durable rug that can handle the high traffic use it will receive. After that, it all comes down to style. Once you find the perfect treads for your home, perverse them so they’ll last as long as possible. Check out this blog so you know how to properly care for your stair treads.

Remove Shoes

The most straightforward measure you can take to preserve your carpet is also the most effective one. The easiest thing you can do to preserve your treads is to have people take their shoes off when they come inside. This practice will also help protect all the other floors in your house. Shoes track in dirt from outside; you wouldn’t walk outside without shoes on, so don’t bring grime into your home.

Prevent Sliding

In order to prevent sliding, put something beneath the stair treads to keep them in place. You can do this by using two different things: rug pads or carpet tape. Rug pads will stick to any surface and keep the rug in place using friction. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it should prevent sliding (although the rug might shift back and forth a little bit.)

Carpet tape is an excellent solution to keep the treads from moving around. However, there’s one major problem: using carpet tape will likely strip the finish off the hardwood beneath the rug. If you decide to use carpet tape, you’ll need to be comfortable with floor damage when making the trade-off for a more stable tread.

Regular Cleaning

Because stair treads are high-traffic area rugs that see a lot of daily use, they accumulate more dirt compared to your average rug. Keep them looking nice by routinely cleaning them every week (or twice a month at the very least.) This schedule will keep grime off and help the treads hold their original color and feel for a long time. Also, remove the stair treads to clean underneath them a few times a year. Like any rug, mold and mildew can fester on the bottom if they ever become wet.

Wool

Wool is a reliant fiber that’s stain-resistant and soft; however, it is sensitive to water. The best method for cleaning wool is with a vacuum. When spills happen, blot them with a wool cleaner. However, never scrub wool since doing so will damage the fibers.

If you care about the strength of your stair treads, wool is a great option—as long as you’re careful never to spill anything on them. You can even get your wool deep-cleaned professionally.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a durable material option that replicates the look and feel of a wool rug. This synthetic material is crafted to withstand heavy foot traffic and water damage, so you don’t have to be as particular when cleaning it. If you decide to use polypropylene stair treads and they do get dirty, simply clean them using a vacuum, sprays, professional cleaners, or a mixture of soap and water. All are viable options.

Sisal

Be extra careful when you’re cleaning natural fiber rugs. Sisal is a type of agave plant, so while it’s very stain-resistant, it doesn’t handle liquids well. Don’t clean with moisture unless you’re spot cleaning. The main thing you should clean sisal treads with is a vacuum. You can also find dry carpet cleaners at rug or hardware stores.

Seagrass

Seagrass is very similar to sisal in look and characteristics. They’re both natural fibers that are stain-resistant, sensitive to water, and excellent at hiding dirt. So, when you’re cleaning your seagrass rugs, stick to your vacuum and only spot clean areas that need it.

Dab the spot rather than rub it. Seagrass won’t absorb liquids, but when you start scrubbing it, you force the liquid into the cracks of the fibers.

Nylon

Nylon is a synthetic material which means it can withstand a lot of dirt and wear. In fact, nylon might rival polypropylene as the most durable material you can use for your stair treads. When you’re cleaning your nylon rug, vacuum it regularly and use carpet cleaners.

Nylon can come in a spectrum. When you compare them to other rugs, low-budget nylon rugs will get dirtier faster. However, you can restore them to their original state with less hassle than others because you don’t have to be careful about the cleaning products you use. If you have trouble with your nylon, a professional carpet cleaner can help with a deep clean.

Acrylic

Acrylic fabrics are naturally water-resistant and dry quickly, so you can clean them similarly to other synthetic materials. However, you should clean them more frequently than nylon or polypropylene because they can more easily trap dirt and grime.

Clean an acrylic rug at least once a week and twice if you want to keep it looking nice. This regular cleaning will help your acrylic stair treads last as long as the other materials.

Washable

If your treads have a rubber back and are advertised as machine washable, then your life just got a whole lot easier. All you need to do is put them in a cold wash on the delicate setting for washable rugs. Then, dry them on a clothesline. (Putting them in the dryer could ruin the fibers or the carpet could ruin the dryer.)

Now that you have a better understanding of how to care for your stair treads, you can take the correct measures to ensure the rug you purchase lasts as long as possible. At Koeckritz Rugs, we believe in providing exceptional custom rugs to fit anywhere in your home. If you’re looking for high-quality stair treads to enhance your living experience, check out our catalog.